.... 744 What keepet!J Scllijm from Jhame a11d batred : Direffions agai1lfl it. ------------ --- ---- -- - - ~, 81. The other great hinderance of out due apprehenfion of the finfulnefs of divifions, is our;~ deep {mfe of our fufferings by fuperiours, and our looking fo much at the evil of pcrft:curicns as not to look at the danger of the contrary extream. Thus under the P.1pacy, the people of Gtrn;t~ny at Luthert Reformation were fo deeply fenfible of the PApal cruelties, that they thought by huw m.:· 1 ry w.zyes foever men Aed fmm fuch bloody perfecutors, they were very excufable. And while men were all taken up in decrying the R9man Idolatry, corruptions and cruelties, they never feared the danger of t.hcir own divifions till they fmarted b~ them. And this was on.;;c the cafe of many good people here mEngland, who fo much hated the wtckednefs of the Prophane and the Huers ofGodli– uefs, tbac they had no appreheniions of the evil of Divifions among themfdvcs: And becaufe many prophane ones were wont to call fober godly people, Schifmatick.J andFatlious, t~creforc the very names began with many to grow into credit, as if theyhad been of good fignification, and there had been re– ally no fuch fin as fchifm and fa[ii,n to be feared : Till God pmnitted this fin to break in upon us with fuch fury, as had almofi turned us inro a Bahel, and a defolation. And I am perfwaded God did purpofely permit it, to teach his people more fenlibly to !mow the evil of that fin by the dfcCl:s, which they would not know by other means: And to let them fee when they had reviled and ruined ea~h other, that there is that in themfelves which they lhould be more afraid of, than of any enemy wuhout. . Dircft. ~/ §. 82. Dirt.&. 5· Q.rvn not any cau{e rvhit:h if an emmy to Love: .Andpretmdmither Truth, nur Ho– Phi'. 1. 9. line[s, nor Vnity, nor Order, nor any thing againji it~ The Spirit ofLove is that one Vital Spirit which I Theff. 4· 9· doth animate all the S1ints. The increafe ofLove is the powerful Balfame that healeth aiJ the Chur~ Colh \r': . ches wounds. Though loveltfi, lifil•fi Phyficions think that all thefe wound1 mull be healed by the ~1~.. e 2 .' ;: ~-~· Sword. And indeed the Weapon-(alve is now become the proper cure. It is the Sword rhat mull be L•-v. 19. tS. medicated, that the wounds made by it may be healed. The deca'les ofLove, are the Churchesdif~ t P.:t ~. u. folution; which firtl caufeth tilfures and feparations, and in proccfs crumbleth us all to dw!i: And 1 1hell.s 13· therefore the Paftors of the Church are the fitteil infiruments for the cure, who are the Mcff'engers ~~":· n.?, 10 ' of Love, and whok Govern01ent is paternal, and hurreth not the body, bm is only a Government of Hcb1.~· Love ; and (Xercip:d by all the mednJ of LotJe. All ChrHtians in the world confefs that LOVE is J Cor. 11 u't. the very life and perfection of all Grace, and the End ofall our other dutics,and that which maketh us G.1\. S· 6, 13· like to God,and 1har it Love dwelltth in us)God dwclleth in us;and that it will be the everlafiingGrace and the work of Htavcn,dnd the Hiippinefs of fouls: and that it is the excelletfl way, and the tharade; h 8 of Saints) ;md the New Commandrnwt. And all this being fo, it is moll certain that no way is the JJ.:.;:.'37~. ·-way of God, which is not the way of L.Jve : And theretore what fpecious pretences foevcr they J::tmes j. 1 ~. may Rave, and ont may cry upTruth, and another Holinefs, and another order, and another Vnity it 1 lo~n ~· ·6. feU; to juftihe their envymgs, hatred, crueltie!l, it is moft certain that all fuch pretences are Suani– G!I. S·. 9 ''"?' cal deceits: And 1f they bite and dtvoHr one onotber, they are not like the Cheep of Chrill, butjh:~Jl be ~Cor.~~:~~-: devoured otte of o;~otbcr, Gal. 5· I 5· Love workJrh no ill to hM ~uighbour: therefore Love U thefulfiUing I Tim. 6. 11. ofthe Law, Rorr•• I3· 10. When Papifts that lhew their lovl! to mens fouls by racking their bodies, Ga~. r. •4· and fryin.g them in the hrc, can make men apprehenfive of the excellency of rhac kind ofLove, they 1 \or. •;. may u(e n to the healing of the Church. In the mean time as their Religion is, fuch is [heir ConE~· ''1-· 1 "~~: cord, while all thofc are called Member~ of their Vni(Jn, and Profclfors of their Religion, who mufi Col. 1 • 4 . be bumt to a!htS if they fay the contrary. They that give God an Image and Cark_afi of Religion are thus content with the lm:1geand Carkafs of aChurch for the exercife ot it. And it there were no~ thing dfe but thiS ro detcCl: thefinfulnefs of the SeCl: of~akers, and many more, it is enough to fat istic any fober man, that it cannot be the way ot God : Got.! is not the author of that Spirit and wa·y which tends to wrach, emulatiOtl, hatred, railing, and the extinction of Chrifiian Love, to all fave their ~wn Sect and party. Remember as you love your fouls, that you Chun all wayes that are dcfiructivc to univcrfal Chrifiian Love. · VirtU• 6 • 9. 83. Dit(Gt. 6. MJJk._e nothing necejf~ry to the unity of the ChHrcb, .or the communion ofChrijlian 1, Ste StiUilgwhich God huth not made nece.ffary, or dzrelied yoH to mal{e fo. By thts one folly, the Papifis an: be– fl•~tlmt. p. come tht! moll notorious Schifmaticks on c:arrh: even by making newArticlt:s of faith, a!ld - 1 ew J ~~~ uo. , . parts o~wmfhip, and impofing them on all Chriftians, to be fworn, fublcribed, profdf..:J or pra~ B:'iuf~r. Ch:~- difed, fo as that no man fhall be accounted a Cathohck, or have conJttllmion with them ( or with flsanS~<OJtfllo"ll. the Univerfal Church, if they could hinder it) that will not follow them in all their Novelties. P· s2~· ThLy thar would fubfcribe m all the Scriptures, •nd m all the antiem Creeds of the Chi.lrch, :md would do any thing that Chrifi and his Apofiles have enjoymd, and go every fttp of that way to Heaven that Peter and Pa:tl went, as far as rhey are able, yeti~ they will go110 turther, and believe no more (yea, if they will not go againji forne of this) mull be condemned, Clft our, and called Schifmatick.J by rhtfe notorioUJ Schifmaticb.f. If he hold to Chrifi the: Univedai Head ot the Church, and will nor be fubjLd: or tworn to rhe Pope, the Ufurping Head, he fhall be taken as cu[ cif from Chrilt. And there is no certainty among thefe men what rneafure of faith, and wodhip, and obe– dience to them, !hall be judgl'd necelfary to confiitute a Church-member: For as that which ftrved in rhc: Aponies dayes, and rhc tollowing ages, will not fervc now, nor the fi.tbfcriUiug to all the other pretended Councils until then, will not ferve without fuhfcribing to the Creed or Council of Trent; fo no body can cell, what New Faith, or Worlbip, or Tcft of Chrifiiaoity, the lhXt Co~ncil (if the world fee any more) may require : and how many thoufand that are 1rent·Cttholicks nvw, may bt: judged Hercticks or Schtfmaticks then, if they will not fhut their eyes, and follow rhem any whither, and change their Rcl1gion as oft as the Papal intcrt:ft requireth a change. Of this · Cbil!ingworth,
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